Chinese, Korean, and Japanese

Jointly organized by the National Museum of China, the National Museum of Korea, and the Tokyo National Museum, this exhibition part of the National Museum of China’s series on international exchange exhibitions.

The exhibition features 52 carefully selected paintings from the collections of these three museums, spanning China’s Ming and Qing dynasties, Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, and Japan’s Muromachi, Edo, and Meiji periods. The selection includes literati paintings, genre paintings, and Buddhist art, each showcasing the distinctive styles of its respective country while also reflecting mutual influences and cultural interconnections across East Asia.

Chinese literati painting, or “scholar painting,” embodies the aesthetic and intellectual inclinations of Chinese scholars, with subjects often expressing personal sentiments. This style reached its height during the Ming and Qing dynasties, becoming the dominant form of painting in China, with innovations in landscape and flower-and-bird painting that combined both traditional and modern elements.

In Korea, literati painting ideals took root during the Goryeo Dynasty and evolved a distinct Korean style during the Joseon Dynasty through frequent exchanges with China. Korean artists such as Jeong Seon, Kang Sehwang, and Kim Jeong-hui developed unique styles that incorporated local aesthetics, establishing a distinct genre in Korean art.

Japanese literati painting, known as “Nanga” or “Southern painting,” became one of the most influential genres of the mid-Edo period. While inspired by Chinese literati painting, Japanese Nanga artists developed a unique style that integrated Japanese aesthetics, distinguished by refined brushwork, delicate colors, and the inclusion of haiku poetry. Key artists of this movement included Gion Nankai, Yanagisawa Kien, Ike no Taiga, and Yosa Buson.